Automatic air-trap.



R, N. DYER. AUTOMATIG AIR TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 27, 1907.

Patented Dec. '7

Witnesses RICHARD N. DYEE, or EAST onANeE, NEW. JERSEY.

Y AUTOMATIC. All kf'rnar.

specincation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7; 1909.

Application led February 27, 1907. Serial lia-359,640.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, RICHARD `l\l..DrER, a citizen of the United States,resldmg at East Orange,` county of Essex, State of New Jersey, haveinvented a certain new and yuseful Improvement in Automatic Air# Traps,of which the following 1s a speciflcation. a Y

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a. vertical section and partial elevationshowing the gen eral structural elements of a refrigerating machine towhich the automatic air trap is applied.; and Figs. 2, 3 and L.taresectional views on a larger scale showing different forms of theimproved automatic air trap.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, A 1s the refrigerating chamber, B thebrine reservoir, C the absorber, and D the still as usual in machines ofthis class. withdrawing the potash solution and entrapped air bubblesfrom the absorber through the drop tube 7. F 1s the alr-trap at whichthe air is separated from the potash solution and discharged from theapparatus. The potash solution is returned to the still through the pipe8, :forming the outer pipe of a double-pipe heat-exchanger l condenserwhose inner pipe is connected G. The concentrated potash solution flowsfrom the still through the plpe 9, formlng the inner pipe of the'exchanger G and rising to the top of the absorber into which thesolution isv discharged, the difference in between the still andabsorber.

through the rectifying coil K With the still and receives the watervapor therefrom.

.The outer pipe of the condenser is connected with the water circulating`pipe 10, asare also the cooling pipes 11 in the absorber. Forsimplicity of` illustration, the connections of the Water circulationwith the absorber pipes 11- and the condenser I are not carried out inthe drawing. The direction of the water circulation is shown by arrowswith barbs only, while the circulation of the absorbent solution isshown' by arrows with barbs and feathers. The water vapor from thestillpassing through the rectifying coil K enters the inner pipe of thecondenser I,

. from which Ithe water of condensation is carried by the .pipe 12 tothe pipe 13 de E is the pump for` .l reservoir on the one hand and thestill and l condenser on the other hand. The water vapor from the brinein the reservoir B -plpeia where itis absorbed by the potash solutionowing down over the cooling ash solution is drawn off with entrapped airbubbles from the absorber tube freed of air is returned to the still bypipe 8, where it is concentratedlby heat, the concentrated solutionreturning to .the vf abdistilled from the potash solution in the still Dis,condensed in the condenser I and returned to the brine through thepipes 12, v13.

.The present invention relates to the au- The purpose of the automaticair-trap is to separate the air from the absorbent solution withdrawnwith entrapped air bubbles from the absorber by the pump,and todischarge the ythat the pump will not be required to work againstatmospheric pressure for any considerable portion of the time, and theamount of absorbent solution which can be be greatly increased.

The improved automatic air-trap involves the employmentv of a floatvalve contained in a 'closed chamber, into which the solution and airare discharged by the from which the solution,-freed oi air, passes intothe pipe leading tothe still. When the liquid level in this chamber islowered suiiiciently by the accumulation of air therein tion of thepump, forcing liquid into the chamber, expels the accumulated airthrough a controlled opening'in the top of the chamthe chamber filledwith the liquid, devices are brought into action which lift the iioatvalve from its seat, reopening the passage to the still, so that theflow of the solution into once unseated, remains floating above its seatuntil the liquid level is' again lowered by the accumulation of air. i

The device for lifting the float valve from forms being illustrated bythe drawing. The Boat-valve chamber 1/1 has ccnnected with passes intothe absorber C through the large 6o pipes 11 which carry off the heat.The pot- C by the drop 7 and pump E and the potash solutionA sorberthrough the ,pipe 9.4 The'water vapon 7o tomatic air-trap, shown byFigs. 2, 3 and 4. 75

air from the circulating system at intervals, so

circulated by a pump -of given power will pump,l and 9o to seat the ioatvalve', the flow of the liquid 95L to thestill is cut oit and thefurther operar..

ber. When the air 1s entirely expelled and 100 the still isrestablished. The float valve,

its seat may be varied in character, three its bottom, the pipe 8through which the -I solution is discharged into the still, thecontinuation of this pipe into the chamber forming a` valve seat'for thefloat valve 15. This float valve. is a light, hollow-body, weightedSovas to ioatv upright and carry` ing on its lower end a valve whichclosesV the opening in the bottom of the chamber 14.

' The liquid and entrapped air bubbles are as a yoke 22, permitting thefloat15 to float above its seat when the' valve stem 21 is in itslowermost position, as illustrated in Referring particularly td Fig. 2,the chainber 18 has a ioat 23 which is connected with the valve stem21-.by means of a yoke 24,-

pe'rmitting independent upward movement of the valve stem. The valvestem 2l carries below the opening 17 a piston 25, fitting accurately theopening 17. When the liquid level'is lowered bythe. accumulation of airin4 the chamber 14, so that the float valve 15 will seat and cut olf theflow into the pipe 8, the continued pumping of liquid and air intothe-chamber 14 will produce a pressurewhich will force the air outthrough the opening 17, under the valve 19, until the chamber 14 isagain entirely filled 4with liquid. During this time the float valve 15remains seated due to the fact that the liquid in the chamber 14 isunder. a pressure 'greater than that whichaexists in the .pipe

8. When the chamber 14 becomesentirely filled with liquid and the liquidbegins to flow through the opening 17 into the chamber 18, the float 23rises drawing the piston 25 into the opening 17 with the result that thefurther effort4 of the pump is exerted upon the piston 25, forcing thesame upwardly into the opening 17 and pulling the float valve 15 fromits seat. This upward motion of the piston 25 under the impulse Y of thepump is permitted to take place with` out further lifting the float 23,on account of the lost motion .at the yoke 24. As soon as the iioatvalve 15 isjwithdrawn from its seat, it ioats upwardly and the liquidbeginning to fioW out of the chamber 14 into the pipe 8, the liquidlevel in the chamber 18 lowers untilthe valve 19 is seated. At

this time the' chamber A'14 is entirely filled with liquid-and thefloatvalvev15 is held above itsseat by its buoyancy as shown in Fig. 2p. Asthe liquid and air are fo ced into the chamber 14 through the pipe 16, te air accumulates in the top of the chamber vjustable by sliding it 14until the liquid level `is lowered sut-ii-v ciently to againseat thefloat valve 15 when the operation of expelling the air is 'rer peated.The purpose of the lower valve 20` isfto prevent the overflow of thechamber 18, should any accident occur` to the apparatus, such as thelosing ofthe vacuum, which would cause theiaccumulation of liquid in thechambers 14 and 18, resulting in the closing of the opening 17 lby thevalve 2O before. the chamber 18 ov'eriiows.

Another means for; unseating the float i valve 15 is illustrated in Fig.3, in which the energy fordoingj\this work is'provided by the electriccurrent. The valve stem 21 is not provided with the piston 25, but isconnected with the armature lever 26 of an electromagnet 27. In the sideof the.. chamber 18 near its top'is located a contact plug-28, carryingcontacts at which the circuit of the magnet 27 is broken. The plug 28 isadlu and down in the tube in which it is located. /When the liquid levelrises in the chamber /18 sufliciently to cover the ends of the con cts,the\circuit of the magnet 27 will be clo ed and this magnet j moving itsarmature lever will give an up- Ward pull upon the float valve 15 ofsutli cient length to unseat it. The unseating of the otit valve willcause the liquid level to lower lin the chamber 18, breaking the circuitto the magnet 27, with the result of allowing the valve stem 21 to dropdown and the valve 19 to seat itself over the opening 17. :Ihe float 23which issliown arranged intermediate between the valve stem 21 and thearmature lever 26 is notv essential to the unseating device in thisform. It serves the purpose however of drawing the valve 20 to its seat,closing the opening 17 from its under side and preventing the overiiowof the chamber 18, should the machine lose its vacuum and theyelectromagnet be inoperative. In Fig. 3, the level of the solution inthe chamber 14 is shown when enough -air has` accumulated to seat thefloat valve 15.`

In Fig. 4 is shown another modification of the means for unseating thefloat valve 15. Here this operation is performed directly by a largefloat 429 having sufficient buoyancy to overcome the force tending tohold the float-valve 15 to its Seat. The air will first 'be expelledfrom the chamber '14 under the refrigerating machine, since it has beenfound useful in that machine and its mode of operation can be betterunderstood when explained in connection therewith; but it is evidentthat the automatic air trap can be applied to any situation where a pumpis used' which receives liquid and air or other gas on its inlet sideand deliversthe liquid against a pressure less than that of theatmosphere and where it is desired to sepv for-another application yforpatent (Serial No. 848051, tiled December 15, 1906).

What I claim is: l. 'lhe combination with a pump receiv-4 ing airand'liquid and areceptacle 'to which t-he liquid freed of air isdelivered against a pressure less than that ofthe atmosphere, of anantomaticair trap located. between the pump and such receptacleintermittent-ly discharging the air and closed against atmosphericpressure' `between the intervals of dischargi-ng air, whereby the pumpwill lnot 'work against atmospheric pressure in delivering liquid tosuch receptacle.

2. 'lhe combination with 'a pump receiving air and liquid, of anautomatic intermittently acting air trap connected with the disch'argeofthe pump including a lchamber in which the air accumulates while theliquid freed of air is `forced from said chamber against a pressure lessthan'that of the atmos here, and automatic mea-ns 'for autov maticallyclosing the liquid outlet from said chamber and for causingthe 'effortofthe pump to expel the air therefrom against atmospheric pressure,whereby between in' tervals of air expulsion the. pump will not workagainst atmospheric pressure. (3. The combination with a pump receivingair and liquid, and a receptacle to which the liquid freed of air isdelivered against al pressure less than that of the ahnosl'ilwre, of

a closed chamber intermediate between the pump and said receptacle forseparating the air from the liquid, Vand automatic means controlledbythe level of the .liquid in said chamber closingtheliquid outlet fromsaid chamber and"permitting the pump to vdisplace the air therefrom.

4. The combmatlon with a` pump receivi ingpair and liquid, and areceptacle to which the ,liquid freed of air is delivered against apressure lessthan Ethat of the atmosphere, of a. closed chamberintermediate between the 'pump and said receptacle for separating theair from the liquid, automatic means controlled by the lowering of theliquid level. in said chamberclosing the liquid out,

let fromisaid chamber and permitting the pulnp to displace theair fromsaid chamber, and automatic-means controlled by the rise in the liquidlevel for lopening said outlet.

5. The automatic air-trap having in combination, a closed chamber havinga liquid `outlet and a float valve closing the liquid outlet from suchchamber when the accumulation of air in the chamber lowers the liquidthrough which the accumulated air is expelled from the chamber and meansfor un seating the ioat. valve after the air is expelled, substantiallyas set forth.

(3. The automatic air-trap, having in combination, vconnectedsuperimposed chambers, the upper chambervbeing open to the air, a valvein the upper chamber controlling the openin into thelower chamber, aninlet' throng whlch air and l1qu1d are deliveredto the lower chamber., aliquid *outletv from the lower chamber, a float valve in the lowerchamber closino the liquid outlet therefromwvhen the liquld leveltherein is lowered by the accumulation of air, and means for Vunseatingthe float valve after the air is expelled from the lower chamber,substantially as set forth.

7. .The automatic air-trap having in combination, connected superimposedchambers, the upper-chamber bemg open to the' air, a

valve in the upper chamber controlling the' opening into the lowerchamber, an inlet through which air and .liquid are delivered to thelower chamber, a liquid outlet from the lower chamber, a flat valve inthe lower chamber closing the lliquid Aoutlet therefrom when the liquidlevel therein is lowered by the accumulation of air, a piston fittingtheo ening between the two cham Vbers and a foat'in the upper chamberfor drawing the piston into said opening the rise of theliquid in theupper chamber, sublstantially as set forth.

'.lhis specificationl signed and witnessed -this 26th day of'. February,1907.

RICHARD N.v DYER.. -Witnesses:

JonN S. LoTsoH, LEONARD H. DY'ER.

